In Part 1 of my two-part “How to Plan the Ultimate Adult Trip to Walt Disney World”, we explored all of the specifics of what to do prior to arriving at Walt Disney World for your adults only trip. So what to do when you finally arrive at the World? Here are some of my suggestions for attractions, entertainment, and dining options for each of the parks!
The Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is a great park for adults because it is very large so there is a lot of space for all of the guests to spread out. It has a lot of interesting, more mature rides and attractions available. Plus it has good food and good entertainment! Here are some of my “must-sees”.
Attractions to Try
- Kilimanjaro Safari is a great ride to check out earlier in the morning – there is hardly any line to get on the ride and the animals tend to be more active when it is cooler out.
- Also check out DINOSAUR, an indoor thrill ride with some small drops and big dinos!
- If you are a roller coaster lover, Expedition Everest is a great choice for you, however, it is pretty intense so this is not for those who don’t like large roller coasters.
- Another favorite is Kali River Rapids, which is a river ride with a couple of drops and the potential to get drenched! Therefore, this is a great choice for the hot afternoon hours when you want to cool off.
Other Entertainment to Check Out
- Don’t miss the Festival of the Lion King, it is an incredible performance with a lot of memorable stunts and music!
- The Maharajah Jungle Trek is also a great option for when you have some downtime in between rides and dining reservations. It is a self-guided tour where you can see all kinds of animals like bats, birds, gorillas, and my favorite: tigers!
- Another fun option is the Fossil Fun Games, where you can purchase tickets to play a variety of arcade games.
Recommended Dining Reservations
The majority of Animal Kingdom’s rides and attractions are outside, and in the hotter summer months a cool and relaxing indoor meal can be a welcome relief!
- My favorite option for an indoor lunch is Sanaa, at Animal Kingdom Villa’s Kidani Village. The food at Sanaa is incredible: it is a menu full of African-Indian fusion dishes (and if you don’t get the bread sampler appetizer you are crazy!). The atmosphere is incredibly welcoming for lunchtime – the restaurant is practically empty and it is easy to get a great table. The other bonus is that you can see all the animals in the hotel’s savannah outside the windows (unlike at dinner when it is usually too dark to see out the windows). The one drawback is that you must take a bus from Animal Kingdom to the Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village. This is about a five minute bus ride.
- If you would rather stay in the parks, delicious barbecue and beer can be found at Flame Tree Barbecue.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
I will be the first to admit that right now, Hollywood Studios is more of a “half day” park. There are a lot of attractions that have closed recently due to some anticipated new attractions that are in the works (Disney did just recently buy the rights to Star Wars…). That being said, there are definitely some “must do” attractions here and some great options for table service dining.
Attractions to Try
- Of course Tower of Terror is the quintessential Hollywood Studios ride! I would pass on this ride, though, if the thought of being dropped from a huge height makes you feel queasy.
- Toy Story Midway Mania is an interactive, 3D ride through different levels where you compete against other guests in your car in several different “shoot-em” levels. Try and get the highest score of the hour!
- The Great Movie Ride is the perfect indoor ride where you can take a trip down memory lane and revisit all of your favorite old movies (tip: it has a ton of Hidden Mickey’s!).
- My personal favorite ride at Hollywood Studios is Star Tours, which offers a 3D intergalactic space adventure that changes each time you go on the ride. However, I would recommend avoiding this ride if you have just eaten a full meal or don’t enjoy bumpy rides in enclosed spaces.
Other Entertainment to Check
- My first recommendation is the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. This is a live action show where they demonstrate the techniques used for stunt doubles and action scenes in real movies. I would recommend trying to get there a little early so you can get a good seat for the show (my other tip is that there is a beer cart right outside the show, and you are allowed to bring food and beverages in!).
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage is another great option for entertainment: lots of dancing with our favorite classic Disney songs from the movie!
- My fiancé’s personal favorite is the Animation Studio within The Magic of Disney Animation in the Animation. This is a class that runs every 30 minutes where you can learn to draw one of your favorite Disney characters from an actual Disney sketch artist. It is really a gem of an attraction and not well advertised – I would highly recommend checking out this unique experience!
- My last suggestion would be to head back to this park for its night time entertainment. If you are a fan of the classic Disney movies, the Fantasmic nighttime show is not to be missed!
Recommended Dining Reservations
I would absolutely recommend dining reservations here at Hollywood Studios because the Quick Service dining options are really sub-par here, when compared to the Quick Service at the other three parks.
- The Hollywood Brown Derby is a great option for adults, with its old hollywood glamour theme. It features delicious dishes such as osso buco and duck.
- An option for Italian lovers is Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, where you can get a variety of different pasta dishes as well as flat breads, mussels, and more.
- Some less expensive options include 50’s Prime Time Cafe and Sci Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, if you enjoy sandwich type foods for lunch.
EPCOT
Attractions to Try
- Test Track is a high speed race car attraction where you get to design your own car and test it against the other guests in your group. Although there are no major drops in this ride, just speed and lots of turns! I would recommend using a FastPass for this attraction since the wait time can get pretty long.
- Soarin’ is another great ride at Epcot. It takes you on a flying tour of different places all over the country. I would recommend using a FastPass on this if you come to Epcot for more than one day. (Unfortunately, Soarin’ and Test Track are in the same “tier” group at Epcot for FastPass+, therefore, you can only get a FastPass for one of these rides in advance. My recommendation would be to get a FastPass for the one you are more interested in, and then go to the other one very early in the morning if you really would like to do both rides in one day.)
- Spaceship Earth is a favorite of mine because it is such a classic Disney ride! It is a trip into the past where you can view the different advancements that civilization has made throughout time. It is also a nice break from the heat because it is indoors and usually pretty well air-conditioned.
- Lastly, Living with the Land is a nice, relaxing ride. Usually it does not need a FastPass. On this ride you will see all types of different plants and learn about the gardens at Disney World. If you really enjoy this ride, I would also recommend the Behind the Seeds Tour, where you can go behind the scenes on Living with the Land and learn all types of other facts from your tour guide, as well as check out the gardens up close. The tour is only $20 per person ($17 if you have a DVC membership or Annual Pass).
Other Entertainment to Check Out
Epcot is a fantastic park for adults. There are some great entertainment options:
- By far the best part of Epcot for adults is the World Showcase. This is a collection of 11 countries that are showcased with there own pavilions. There is food, alcohol, shopping, and entertainment that is specific to each country. Better yet is that each pavilion has Cast Members (i.e. the Disney employees) who are from that country, giving the pavilions a little bit more authenticity. No matter how many times we go to Disney World, it is always so much fun to be able to immerse ourselves in country, even just for a little while!
- My other recommendation is definitely the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth show that occurs every night. This is a fireworks show that is set to music. It is such a great way to cap off the night!
Recommended Dining Reservations
Epcot is by far my favorite park for eating and drinking. There are so many amazing restaurants in the World Showcase, and you can literally eat in a different country every night. This is why staying at the Boardwalk area hotels is so convenient – regardless of what park you go to during the day you can always head back to your hotel in the afternoon, relax and change for dinner and then head to Epcot for a trip around the world! Here are some of my highlights:
- Teppan Edo within the Japan Pavilion is our favorite restaurant in Epcot. It is a hibachi style group dining experience and the food is phenomenal! They also have great sushi and cocktail options. This restaurant is definitely worth the extra cost!
- For the Mexican-lovers out there, La Hacienda de San Angel is a great option within the Mexico Pavilion. It is right on the water, which means if you make reservations for about 30-45 minutes prior to the Illuminations show start time, you can actually see the show right from the dining room!
- For Italian pizza and pasta lovers, check out Via Napoli in the Italy Pavilion. They have some amazing thin crust pizza and wine!
- Another option for an enjoyable, relaxing lunch is Chefs de France in the France Pavilion. I would definitely recommend this option for lunch reservations – the lunch menu is all around much better than the dinner menu.
- I would also really recommend cocktailing at Epcot if that is your jam! Some of my favorites are the Grey Goose Martini at the France Pavilion and the margaritas in the Mexico Pavilion.
The Magic Kingdom
Don’t be scared off by all the little kiddos at the Magic Kingdom. There is a ton to do at the Magic Kingdom for adults!
Attractions to Try
- For roller coaster lovers, there are some great options. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are my favorites, but other options include Splash Mountain and Space Mountain for those who are a little more courageous than we are!
- If you enjoyed Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios, check out Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. This ride features a similar concept to Toy Story Midway Mania.
- The Haunted Mansion ride is a great classic, and perfect for cuddling up with your significant other if they (or you!) are scared!
- Peter Pan’s Flight is a classic Disney ride that you have to check out at least once! It usually has a really long wait time, so I would recommend using a FastPass on this ride if you are interested.
- Similarly, Pirates of the Caribbean is also a classic, old-school Disney ride that is a must see. Take a journey with Jack Sparrow throughout his tales of treasure!
Other Entertainment to Check Out
- The Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor is one of my favorite entertainment options at the Magic Kingdom. It is a comedy show where the monsters from Monsters, Inc. host a show and play off the audience for their material. If you are able to, I would recommend coming to late night Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom and checking out this show: it is even funnier when there is a more mature, older crowd around midnight!
- The late night entertainment here is definitely something you should see at least once! Wishes and Celebrate the Magic are the two late night entertainment shows that occur almost back to back every night. Try to find a good viewing spot near the castle about 30 minutes before the show: one is a fireworks show, and one is a video shown on the castle itself (so cool!). This is one of my favorite things to see at Disney World!
Recommended Dining Reservations
- One of our favorites restaurants is Be Our Guest inside the Beast’s castle. This restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner, with lunch being semi-table service (you order your food, sit down, and the Cast Members bring it to your table) and dinner being full table service. Based on the menu alone, I would recommend the lunch option, however, if you are looking for a glass of wine and full table service, dinner might be better for your group.
- Liberty Tree Tavern is another nice option for lunch. It is a restaurant that is broken down into smaller rooms, so it feels more intimate than some of the other restaurants. The food is also great for those who like burgers and sandwiches.
- It is worth noting that there is no alcohol served at the Magic Kingdom, except for beer and wine at dinner in the Be Our Guest restaurant. For this reason, it is sometimes nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the park and head to one of the Magic Kingdom area hotels for lunch or dinner and a nice cocktail or glass of wine. This is very easy to do: just hop on the Resort Monorail to visit restaurants at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and the Contemporary.
A Few Last Notes
For adults, there are also a number of other entertaining things to do:
- Drinks Around the World is a fun activity for larger groups of adults who plan on spending the day at Epcot. This is where you “try a drink in every country”, however, because there are 11 countries, I suggest trying a drinking in every other country or just splitting a drink with your friend or significant other. Nobody likes a sloppy Disney guest! They even have Drinks Around the World Passports you can purchase!
- There are a number of other tours to check out in addition to the Behind the Seeds tour. Check them out here!
- Several of the Disney resorts have spas where you can spend a relaxing afternoon getting a massage or a mani/pedi. Check them out here.
- For those who enjoy golfing, there are several golf courses available on Disney property. Check out the available options here.
- Finally, there is Downtown Disney! This is a great option for one night if you don’t want to head to the parks. There are a number of restaurants, bars, and shops that you can check out, as well as entertainment options like bowling and a movie theater.
The most important thing to remember at the end of the day is that the trip will not be perfect because everything goes right. In fact, after all of the experiences I have had at Disney World, I guarantee that there will be many things that do not go right! But the thing that will make your trip perfect is the people you choose to spend your vacation with and the happiness that you find within yourselves when given the opportunity to become a kid all over again!
Did you miss part 1? Click here to read!
Recreate a classic EPCOT World Showcase cocktail with my recipe here!
Check out my top 10 favorite places to eat in Walt Disney World!
